While the first IndyCar race of the year is still over a month away, teams are hard at work preparing for the season. On Monday, a handful of teams headed to Fontana, Calif. to test Auto Club Speedway.

These are times @ACSupdates that are important for team to return in Aug. & score another win. We want party time @FuzzysVodka Victory Lane.

Nothing is going to change the damaging penalty that Scott Dixon received for inadvertently making contact with Will Power’s Team Penske pit crew last Sunday.

The mishap did, however, prompt IndyCar to install new rules involving drivers and the safety of pit crew members.

Dixon was on his way to victory at Sonoma when he received a drive-through penalty with 15 laps to go for clipping a tire in the left hand of a member of Power’s crew. The incident occurred when Dixon’s Honda left his pit directly behind Power’s Chevrolet.

Dixon was livid after finishing 15th, claiming the pit crew member intentionally got in his way. His stance mellowed Friday — to a degree.

“I’m obviously not as angered. I’d probably take back some of the words I used,” Dixon said. “But still, I think the guy was incompetent, not paying attention, and we don’t need that on pit lane. He’s going to cause somebody else harm. I still feel he should be removed from pit lane or some kind of penalty inflicted on him.”

The new rules instituted Friday addressed that concern, and clearly defined where pit crews should stand during the race.

Will Power won at Sonoma Raceway for the third time in four years Sunday, earning his first victory of the IndyCar season when he took advantage of a late penalty to Scott Dixon for injuring three members of Power’s pit crew.

Dixon led until he received a drive-through penalty with 15 laps to go for clipping a tire in the left hand of Power’s tire holder when Dixon left his pit directly behind Power’s Team Penske Chevrolet.

The tire holder went flying into another crew member, and a third member was injured by an air gun. Dixon thought Power’s crew got in his way on purpose, leaving him angry and confused by IndyCar’s latest call against him.

Although Dario Franchitti hasn’t won an IndyCar race since last year’s Indianapolis 500, he’s in prime position to snap that unpleasant streak when he starts on the pole Sunday in an excellent Honda at Sonoma Raceway.

But if he can help Scott Dixon by stepping off the gas a bit, Franchitti would be happy to follow team orders.

1. Luhr learns in first IZOD IndyCar Series test: Lucas Luhr enjoyed his first experience in an IZOD IndyCar Series car, despite his time being limited by a mechanical problem.

The German, who will make his series debut through a partnership between RW Motorsports and Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing at Sonoma Raceway, completed 10 laps on the 12-turn, 2.385-mile road course Aug. 13 as the team overcame issues with the brakes and radio harness.

“Got my first laps in the Indy car today,” Luhr wrote on Twitter following the test. “Great (experience) we have some work to do but love it so far.”